10 Things Coming To Netflix in December That You Need to Watch

1. Oculus (releasing Dec. 3-6th)

One of the better horror movies released in the past few years, hidden amongst the Annabelles and Paranormal Activitys and Paul Blart 2: Return of B.L.A.R.T.s, Oculus didn't get anywhere near the acclaim it deserves: starring Karen Gillan (of Doctor Who) and Katee Sackhoff (of Battlestar Galactica), its a good mix of jump scares, slow creeping dread, and EVIL MIRRORS. And while it's not perfect, it's a lot better than 99% of the horror movies on Netflix right now (sorry, Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead).

2. Broadchurch (releasing Dec. 12-15th)

Hey - know that David Tennant mystery show on Fox that you're not watching (but maybe saw previews for)? The one with Skyler from Breaking Bad. This is the show it's based on - and the one you SHOULD be watching (even though you're not watching the Fox one). It's a mystery show about a dead kid, a small town, and lots of secrets. But mostly, it's PERFECT for binge-watching, since each episode will leave you hanging on another thread of the mystery at hand. Plus, David Tennant's great (especially when he's allowed to use his actual accent).

3. Comedy Bang! Bang!: Season 3 (releasing Dec. 24-30th)

Comedy Bang! Bang! might be the best surreal meta-talk show currently airing (SORRY, ERIC ANDRE). It's weird, funny, and great. It's not for everyone, but the comedic duo of Scott Aukerman and Reggie Watts is pretty darn perfect. And somehow we're already getting season 3, even though season 3's finale is December 19th? I'm okay with all of this.

4. The Trip To Italy (releasing Dec. 18th-23rd)

Here's the Michael Caine bit from 2012's The Trip (originally a short series, but edited into a film). It's genuinely one of the most bizarre and specific comedy bits in recent memory, and it's a thing of beauty. And now there's a sequel! It's a similar setup - Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon go on a restaurant tour and get on each others nerves, but that's mostly just an excuse for the two to riff and bounce off of each other in a variety of delightful ways.

5. The Wolf of Wall Street (releasing Dec. 8-11th)

It's insane Martin Scorsese is still directing films as wild and energetic as this at his age - this is the 2013 con man movie you should remember (sorrrrrrrrry, American Hustle). Leonardo DiCaprio starts the film as a naive stock trader, but quickly finds his skills as a shark-like conman who deals in junk bonds with a silver tongue. Along for the ride is Jonah Hill, who keeps proving that he's somehow a pretty great legitimate actor, in addition to being great at making dick jokes in Seth Rogen movies. And here's the big secret to The Wolf of Wall Street - it's not only a great character study and drama, but it's also maybe the funniest movie of last year. The ludes scene is perfect - you'll know it when you see it.

6. A Knight's Tale (released Dec. 1st)

This movie got a lot of flack at the time for mixing modern music with its medieval setting - but now, looking back, it's pretty radical all-around. Heath Ledger's great, Paul Bettany's great, Alan Tudyk's great, Mark Addy's great, and the music is SUPER great. I mean, have you HEARD 14th century music? Yuck. I'll take Queen any day of the week.

7. American Beauty (released Dec. 1st)

You know what this is. I'm not gonna write a paragraph explaining to you what American Beauty is. The point is, it's now on Netflix, so go watch it for the most beautiful plastic bag to have ever existed (also Kevin Spacey's okay in it).

9. Bill Burr: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way (releasing Dec. 3-6th)

Bill Burr is one of the great working stand-up comedians (and he's got a pretty solid podcast), and now he's got a new stand-up special that's premiering exclusively on Netflix, because that is the world we live in today. From the official description:

Burr shares his essential tips for surviving the zombie apocalypse, exposes how rom-coms ruin great sex and explains how too many childhood hugs may be the ultimate downfall of man.

10. Marco Polo (releasing Dec. 12-15th)

The first big Netflix Original drama since House of Cards (sorry, Terrible Werewolf Show), Marco Polo is Netflix's biggest gamble of the year - a historical epic drama following the titular explorer on his journey to the Silk Road and to Kublai Khan. But between House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and BoJack Horseman, Netflix has earned a little trust with their original programming. Sure, we occasionally get a dud, but this should be at least worth checking out.

BONUS! The Village (releasing Dec. 8-11th)

It's the second most hilariously bad M. Night Shyamalan movie, but it's also notable for being the first one where we all realized "Oh, this guy is just full of shit, huh?" The twist is unbearably stupid, the acting ranges from okay to insanely dumb, and it includes the most pretentious M. Night cameo to date. But it's totally worth watching with friends (and lots of alcohol) to just rip on this terrible piece of garbage movie for 90 minutes. If you wanna make MST3K references, all the better.